Matrix guiding means for line casting machines



June 5, 1 962 s. M. CANTOR 3,037,614

MATRIX GUIDING MEANS FOR LINE CASTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 11, 1960 Q 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 5, 1962 s. M. CANTOR 3,037,614

MATRIX GUIDING MEANS FOR LINE CASTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 11, 1960 w 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 111 .17 fizzy/a F 9. /9 1? 20 1392/ June 5, 1962 S. M. cANTOR MATRIX GUIDING MEANS FOR LINE CASTING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 11, 1960 rrrr BCDEPGHI Sttes $337,614 Patented June 5, 1962 3,037,614 MATRIX GUIDING MEANS FOR LINE CASTING MACHINES Sol M. Cantor, 130 W. 46th St., New York 36, NY. Filed Jan. 11, 1960, Ser. No. 1,753 2 Claims. (Cl. 199-27) This invention relates generally to line of type casting machines and more particularly to means and method for preventing damage to the side walls of matrices used in line casting machines, of the kind known as Linotype and Intertype.

In presently known and used type line casting machines, the type forming matrices are released from a magazine by the depression of keys on the keyboard of the machine. The matrices in the old construction, as they are released, are rapidly carried down a moving inclined belt, and hurled against the side of the next previously positioned matrix in the line being set up in the assembling elevator by the assembler. In most of the characters, the depression in the shape of the printing character to be cast, is very close to the side wall of the matrix; and when such border of the female type character impression is struck by the edge of the next matrix as it leaves the belt an indentation or damage is created. Singly or cumulatively the damage becomes so severe that when the matrices are placed to receive the liquid hot casting metal under pressure, said metal is forced into those damaged areas or lateral depressions disposed between the matrices, and fins are formed in the printing slug, said fins being between the type characters. When subsequently used for printing, hairlines are printed between the letters. This condition is intolerable in good printing, so that the matrices must be replaced, necessitating high expense.

It is therefore among the objects of the present invention to provide new and useful means and methods for preventing or substantially reducing the condition described above.

Another object herein lies in the provision of structure which will deflect the movement of a matrix as it leaves the belt so that it meets the last positioned matrix in the assembling elevator at an acute angle with little or no damage to the relatively stationary matrix.

Another object lies in the provision of structure of the class described which may be incorporated in the different makes of line casting machines when built, or more irnportantly, since there are so many machines already in use, which may be added as an attachment thereto.

These objects and other incidental ends and advantages, will more fully appear in the progress of this disclosure and be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views of each embodiment:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing a first embodiment of the invention as installed on a known line casting machine.

FIGURE 1A is a fragmentary elevational view of a line type casting machine with directing element removed.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevational view of FIGURE 1, showing the directing element and associated parts, with a matrix entering the assembling elevator.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view in perspective of the assembling elevator of FIGURE 1 in an opened position.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective view, as viewed generally from the rear of the line of type casting machine, showing the forward upper portion of an assembling elevator in a second embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 5 is a normally rear elevational view of a front directing element in the second embodiment.

of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged view in perspective of the front directing element in the second embodiment.

FIGURE 9 is a front elevational view corresponding to FIGURE 2 showing a later stage in the entrance of a matrix into the assembling elevator.

FIGURE 10 is an elevational view in the second embodiment looking into the assembling elevator from a point at the right end thereof.

FIGURE 11 is a perspective view of the upper front and rear matrix support rails in the first embodiment.

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary top plan view of the right end of the upper rear matrix support rail of FIGURE 11.

FIGURE 13 is a fragmentary enlarged front elevational view of the right end of the upper rear matrix support rail of FIGURE 11.

FIGURE 14 is a fragmentary enlarged rear perspective view of the right end of the upper front matrix support rail of FIGURE 11.

FIGURE 15 is a fragmentary top plan view of the right end of the upper front matrix support rail of FIGURE 11.

FIGURE 16 is an enlarged front elevational view of the right end of the upper front matrix support rail of FIGURE 11.

FIGURE 17 is a rear perspective view of a matrix.

FIGURE 18 is a front perspective view of a matrix.

FIGURES 19-21, inclusive, are enlarged fragmentary rear perspective views of damaged matrices, produced by prior art machines.

FIGURE 22 is a rear perspective view of the matrices of FIGURES 19, 20 and 21, as assembled for casting a slug.

FIGURE 23 is a fragmentary perspective view of a slug cast from the matrices in FIGURE 22.

FIGURE 24 is a fragmentary perspective view of a printed surface made by a printing impression from the slug in FIGURE 23.

FIGURE 25 is a fragmentary perspective view corresponding generally to FIGURE 22, but showing undamaged matrices as produced by the practice of the present invention.

FIGURE 26 is a fragmentary perspective view corresponding generally to FIGURE 24 but showing the quality of printing impression obtained by practice of the present invention.

FIGURE 27 is a fragmentary front elevational view of an Intertype assembler as modified in accordance with the present invention, and in an opened position.

FIGURE 28 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the structure in FIGURE 27 in a closed position, with the front plate removed.

FIGURE 29 is a side elevational view as seen from the left of FIGURE 27 but with the front plate in a closed position.

FIGURE 30 is a fragmentary front elevational view corresponding to FIGURE 27 but with the front plate closed and connected to the assembling elevator, in accordance with the invention, the front portion of the assembling elevator being removed for purposes of clarity.

FIGURE 31 is a fragmentary front elevational view corresponding to FIGURE 28 but shows a modification in which the transfer surfaces are upwardly convex.

In accordance with prior art construction, comparing FIGURE 1A and FIGURE 1, a matrix Illa when discharged from a moving assembler belt 24 in the direc tion of the arrow 25. The matrix travels in such a. manner that a lower edge 11a, strikes the side Wall 1212 of a matrix 13a which is already in the horizontal stack 14a in the assembling elevator 15a. While some deflection and retardation may have been produced by the chute pivoted finger 16a, it is not suificient to direct the matrix a into position at a sufficiently acute angle to prevent substantial damage to the previously positioned matrices in the stack or row 14a. These have been pushed into position to the left of the upper rear retaining pawl 17a by the star Wheel 2211.

This condition which exists in present day line of type casting machines is illustrated in FIGURES 17 to 24, inclusive. In FIGURE 18 there is seen a relatively front perspective view of a matrix 10, with the reference face or edge 18 toward the viewer (this reference edge is normally the surface which faces the operator). In FIGURE 17 there is seen a rear perspective view of the matrix 10 showing the casting face or edge 19. The matrices shown are of the kind having a single character of the larger faces but as will be obvious to those skilled in this art the majority of the matrices carry two characters, usually roman and italic or roman and bold. Turning again to FIGURE 18, the side wall 20 may be referred to herein as a right side wall or receiving wall, while in FIGURE 17 may be seen side wall 21 which is the left or leading wall, since this wall leads as the matrix It) is loaded into the assembling elevator generally indicated by reference character 15.

Referring to FIGURE 1A, as the matrix 16a is discharged from the belt 24 (FIGURE 1) and has been acted upon by the finger 16A, the edge 11a (or edge 11 in FIGURE 17) will strike against the receiving side Wall 2011 and will produce damage usually in the form of a dent or depression 27a (FIGURE 19). Ordinarily a single blow does not produce sufficient damage to have a serious effect upon the cast slug 28:: (FIGURE 23), but the cumulative effect of a series of blows or collisions does produce serious damage, and the damage is greatest when the edge of a type face die 29a is thin or has a knife edge caused by the particular configuration of the letter of the alphabet. This problem has been recognized, and it is known to provide a bevel 30 (FIGURE 17), but this has not been successful owing to the fact that in the present type line casting machines, the direction and position of arrival of the matrix 10a cannot be adequately controlled if sufficient clearances are provided to allow rapid movement of the matrices from the assembler into the assembling elevator to allow for high speed of operation and avoidance of transpositions; also matrices for the thin or narrow letters such as f, i, j, l, open and close quotations, hyphen, thin space, etc., have no bevel like the bevel 30.

In FIGURES 20 and 21, similarly damaged matrices 31a and 32a, with depressions 33a and 34a, are seen, and when these are assembled in the assembling elevator 15, and the stick or horizontal stack 14a is transferred to the position to have the slug 28a cast, there will be I fissures 35a and 36a, into which the hot metal will be forced under pressure thereby producing the fins 37a and 38a in the slug 28a (FIGURE 23). When the slug 28a is used to print on a sheet of paper or printing surface 39a in addition to the letters in the printing impression 40a there will be hairlines 41a and 42a. Comparison may be made at this point between FIGURES 22 and 25, and 24 and 26 respectively, where the absence of the fissures and hairlines, through the use of the present invention is seen in said FIGURES 25 and 26, respectively. It will be seen that the matrices 13, 31 and 32 are substantially undamaged and the impression 40 on the surface 39 is clean and devoid of hairlines.

Turning to FIGURES 1 and 3, the first embodiment, and in accordance with the present invention, in the assembling elevator 15, the front and rear lower matrix support rails 43 and 44 are not changed but the upper front matrix support rail 45 is provided with a new deflecting end element 49 and the upper rear matrix support rail 46 is provided with a directing element 50. The rail 46 is provided with an indentation 51, and with a pair of elongated slots 52 and 53 which are stepped or countersunk so that the heads of the screws 54 and 55 will be flush with the exposed surface of the rail 46 so as not to interfere with movement of the matrices therealong. The slots 52 and 53, and screws 54 and 55 permit longitudinal adjustment of the rail 46 and consequently the directing element which in this embodiment is integral therewith. The screws 54 and threadedly engage the back casting or member 47 either in pro-existing holes therein, or new holes may be readily drilled and tapped.

The upper front matrix support rail 45 is detachably connected to the U-shaped carrier member 56 by screws 61 and 62. Screws 61 and 62 pass through holes in the members 56 and engage the rail 45 in the holes 59 and 60. The carrier member 56 is adapted to pivot about an axis through the screw 57, against the spring 58, and when said U-shaped carrier member is pulled forward and down it passes a dead center position (with respect to spring 58) so that the carrier member will appear as seen in FIG- URE 3.

Ordinarily a matrix is thus vertically supported by the lugs or ears 63-66, but in its auxiliary position the lower lug or ear 65 is supported on the auxiliary rails 67 and 68. It may be noted at this point that even when the matrices are introduced into the assembling elevator in the upper or auxiliary position thereof they are directed by the present structure so that they are not damaged.

Disposed at the upper right hand corners of the assembling elevator 15, are the upper front retaining pawl 68 and the upper rear retaining pawl 17. These are part of the normal assembling elevator construction and are resiliently urged inward toward the stick of matrices to hold them in the horizontal stack 14 after the last placed matrix 13 has been pushed to the left by the star wheel 22.

In the present invention the upper rear matrix support rail 46 has the directing element 50 and the recess 51. The shape of these parts is best seen in FIGURES 11, 12 and 13 where it will be seen that the directing element has a front Wall 71 (normally facing the operator) a top wall 72, a bottom wall 73, an upper right cam wall 74, a lower right cam wall and a left wall 76.

The top wall 72 is located at substantially the same level as the upper surface 77 of the upper rear support rail 46, and the bottom wall 73 is substantially at the same level as the lower surface 78. The upper right forward wall 74 is generally convex about a horizontal axis running transverse to the movement of the matrices through the assembling elevator, while the lower right forward wall is generally concave about a horizontal axis transversely of the movement of the matrices through the assembling elevator.

The front upper support rail 45 has a curved right cam wall 79 extending from the upper surface to the lower surface 81.

Thus the cam walls 75 and 79 are inwardly and downwardly curved and they are positioned to be struck by the lugs 66 and 65 respectively which are caused to veer to a more downward direction. This is illustrated in FIGURE 2, and the direction of movement of the matrix is caused to become more acute with respect to the last previously positioned matrix 13 in the stack 14, so that it may be pushed into its place to the left of the pawl 17. During this movement, the lug 64 has its passage over the upper portion of the directing element 50 facilitated by the upper cam Wall 74. The cam surfaces 75 and 79 not only cause a change in direction of the matrix but also act to have the etfect af retarding the velocity of the matrix. This results in the edge 11 striking the next matrix in the stack 14 a softer more glancing blow, and a blow which is located lower down on the matrix at a level where the knife edges of the type character dies 29 are not located.

After the directing element 50 and the deflecting element 49 have performed their function, they do not interfere with the smooth and orderly movement of the matrices into the stack 14.

The entrance of the matrices, and their changes in direction as they enter into the assembling elevator is improved by raising the assembling elevator 15 a slight amount with respect to the belt 24, chute finger 16 and chute 9. This is accomplished by either lowering the lower surface 82, raising the end 83 or interposing a shim 84. I have found that the amount of elevation is useful between .040 and .046 inch.

Turning now to FIGURES 4 to 8, inclusive, and 10, it will be seen that this embodiment differs from the prior described embodiment in the introduction of a front directing element 150 which is located to the right (to the left as viewed in FIGURE 4) of the end :108 of the upper front matrix support rail 107. Thus the directing element 150 is located forward of the element 50 and directly opposite thereto. The front directing element 150 in its external configuration is generally a counterpart of the directing element 50 having a rear wall 171, a top Wall 172, a bottom wall 173, an upper cam wall 174, lower cam wall 175 and left wall 176. The directing element 150 is integral with a mounting block, 185 which is secured in place below the pawl 168 by a pair of screws 186 which pass through the holes 187 and engage the plate 188.

In the operation of the second embodiment, the two lower lugs on the matrix engage the surfaces 75 and 175 while the upper lugs pass above the upper cam walls 74 and 174.

In FIGURE the relative vertical positions of the pawls 168 and 117 as well as the directing elements 50 and 150 is seen. It is to be noted that the horizontal thickness of the directing elements 50 and 150 is not great enough to produce any deleterious friction on the front and rear edges of the matrices.

In the case where the present invention is utilized with line of type casting machines of the kind known as Intertype, the chute structure of such type casting machines requires improvement in order that the matrices as delivered to the assembling elevator by the assembler shall reach the assembling elevator in a'p-roper initial direction. Such machines have in the chute portion thereof downward depressions of curved shape comparable generally to the edge 201 in FIGURE 28. In accordarrce with the present invention the rear plate 202 has a relatively straight upper edge 203 and the plate 204 likewise has a relatively planar surface 205. Thus the edge 203 and the surface 205 constitute transfer surfaces which support the moving matrices 210 in a sliding fashion after they have left the belt 224, and prevent the lugs of the matrices from dropping down into the depressions or cut away areas corresponding to the edge 201 described above.

Making the improvements to the known line casting machine assembler is a simple procedure. The cover plate 290 is swung forwardly about the pin 291 (FIGURE 27) which is mounted on the rear body 292. Removal of the star wheel 222, and the screw 293 allows the present improved rear plate 203 to be substituted so that as installed the edge 203 lies next to and forwardly of the body 292. The plate 204 replaces the old plate, and is held in position by the screw 293. The plate 204 has a central portion 294, an upward extension 295 and a lower extension 296. The upwardly exposed surface of the extension 296 is substantially rectilinear, and is devoid of the indentation corresponding to the edge 201 on the prior art devices.

In the modification shown in FIGURE 31, this is sub stantially similar to the form shown in FIGURES 27, 29, and 30, except that the uppermost surfaces, including the edge 303 and the surface 305, are upwardly convex.

It may thus be seen that I have provided improved construction and methods for moving type matrices from the assembler into the assembling elevator of line of type casting machines. My invention may be utilized in a simple manner at comparatively low cost, with a great saving in that, a long useful life for the matrices is obtained.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains.

I claim:

1. In a line of type casting machine having an assembling elevator, and a matrix delivery adapted to supply matrices to said assembling elevator, the improvement comprising means to change the direction of a matrix as the same enters the assembling elevator; said means including a directing element associated with the assembling elevator; said directing element having a plurality of stationary cams connected to the assembling elevator.

2. In a line of type casting machine, having an assembling elevator, and a matrix delivery adapted to supply matrices to said assembling elevator, improved means connected to the assembling elevator for changing the direction of a matrix as the same enters the assembling elevator, said means including a plurality of fixed cam ,members, a first of said plurality of cam members having a lower concave camming surface, and a second of said plurality of cam members having an upper convex camming surface, said cam members being positioned in the line of travel of successive matrices such that the lower aligning lugs of individual matrices upon engagement with said assembling elevator will strike said first cam member whereby the direction of travel of the matrices may be curved, following which the upper aligning lugs of said matrices may fall upon said second cam member to be guided to position for stacking within said assembling elevator.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 539,984 Dodge May 28, 1895 759,502 Crofut May 10, 1904 888,176 Kennedy May 19, 1908 1,860,880 Albrecht May 31, 1932 2,058,357 Schlacletzky Oct. 20, 1936 2,172,087 McKeel Sept. 5, 1939 2,293,000 Hilpman Aug. 11, 1942 

